Civil War Re-enactors Encamp at Century Village Museum for 28th Year
Century Village Museum will revisit the War Between the States again this spring with the 28th annual Civil War Reenactment Memorial Day weekend, May 26 and 27.
Re-enactors will set up camp for the weekend on Century Village Museum grounds, offering visitors a look back at the battles as well as the daily life of Civil War soldiers and civilians. The event has become known as one of the premier Civil War encampments in this part of the United States.
The reenactment kicks off with two evening programs hosted in the Auburn Church on the grounds of Century Village Museum the week of the event. The first event, already held on Wednesday, May 23, Dr. Virginia Gunn of the University of Akron presented a lecture on Civil War Textiles in a program sponsored by the “Know Your Antiques Club.” On Friday, May 25, Wayne Enders of the Portage County Historical Society will present a living history presentation of James A. Garfield during his Civil War years. Both programs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
This year, Century Village Museum also welcomes fourth-graders from Burton Elementary School, who will present their winning essays, written in the form of letters to Civil War soldiers from their children back home. The students will read their letters during the encampment’s “mail call.”
Century Village Museum’s historic buildings will be open during the two-day event, and historic artisans will be on hand to perform demonstrations, including rug hooking, weaving and pottery. The blacksmith shop also will be open for demonstrations. Each day will feature a parade, a Gatling Gun demonstration, battle reenactments, and a performance by the Gallery Singers.
This event will be held on May 26-27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults $7, Children 6-12 $4, Golden Buckeye $6, Members and Children under 5 get in free.
Active since 1938, the Geauga County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that supports Century Village Museum, a recreation of an 1800s Western Reserve settlement that includes 22 historic buildings and six support structures situated on 65 acres in Burton, Ohio. To fulfill its educational role, Century Village provides tours to roughly 5,000 school children from 60 schools every year. The museum hosts several major annual events highlighting various historical and cultural aspects of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The Geauga County Historical Society also makes available over 20,000 artifacts and documents for research and study. Century Village is located at the intersection of Routes 168 and 87 in Burton, Ohio. For more information, please call 440-834-1492 or visit www.geaugahistorical.org.
